


4 a.m. Knows All My Secrets

by misanthropiclycanthrope



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Insomnia, M/M, OT3, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12086178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misanthropiclycanthrope/pseuds/misanthropiclycanthrope
Summary: Athos can't sleep...





	4 a.m. Knows All My Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't sleep either. So here's some fluff that can be read as either BroT3 or OT3, whichever is your preference.
> 
>  _The night is the hardest time to be alive and 4am knows all my secrets_ \- Poppy Z. Brite.

“What are you doing?”

Athos flinched, almost dropped the spoon he was holding. Porthos was leaning up against the kitchen doorway and he hadn’t heard him approach.

“I’m sorry.” Athos offered him a grimace of guilty apology. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“’S fine.” Porthos was more concerned about why Athos was up and about at that time of night. “So, what _are_ you doing?”

“Making tea.” As if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“At three o’clock in the mornin’?”

“I couldn't sleep.”

“Tea ain’t gonna be much help with that.”

“I would prefer brandy, but you threw that away.”

Athos didn’t sound angry, just tired. His shoulders sagged as he stared forlornly at the kettle and realised it wasn’t actually going to boil unless he put water in it.

“C’mon.” With an arm around his shoulders, Porthos steered Athos away from the counter. “Go sit down an’ I'll make us some hot chocolate.”

“No, no, don’t let me keep you up.” Athos tried to resist but Porthos was warm and adamant. His resolve weakened. “Go back to bed, Porthos.”

“No arguments.” He gave Athos an encouraging push and, with a sigh, he relented, sank heavily into the soft cushions of the sofa.

“What’s going on?”

Bleary eyed, Aramis blinked at them, his hair sleep-mussed and his cheek creased from his pillow.

“Athos can’t sleep. I’m making hot chocolate. Want some?”

Aramis gave him a sleepy smile and threw himself down beside Athos. “Please.”

Athos watched guiltily as the half-awake Aramis curled into the corner of the sofa and tucked his feet beneath Athos’s thigh for warmth. “I didn't wake you too, did I?”

“Nah, that was my bladder.” He said it with a smile but Athos looked miserably like he didn’t believe him.

Porthos returned with three steaming mugs, passed them out before dropping down on Athos’s other side.

“This just a one-off then, or a regular thing?”

Athos didn’t reply, staring instead at the steam curling up from his mug. The shadows beneath his eyes were more pronounced in the low light, stark against his pale skin, and Aramis frowned at the sight.

“When’s the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?”

Athos thought about it, tried to recall, had to admit the truth. “I can’t remember.”

Porthos grunted unhappily. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You both have better things to do than worry about me.”

“We _want_ to worry about you, you berk.” Porthos hooked an arm around Athos and pulled him close. “Because we _care_.”

“Yep,” Aramis agreed, grin bright even in the half-light. “It’s all part of the package.”

Suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed, Athos could only nod, his eyes hot. It would take a man far stronger than him to refuse such genuine and heartfelt affection.

They sat there, huddled together, drinking their chocolate, until Aramis had almost nodded off again and Porthos was in danger of going the same way himself. He collected their mugs, dropped them into the sink, then returned for his friends.

“C’mon.” He held out a hand to each of them. Aramis grasped it immediately and let Porthos pull him up, while Athos stared warily for a moment until he realised Porthos wasn’t going to give up.

Porthos herded the two of them to his bedroom, and while Aramis didn’t hesitate to sprawl bonelessly across his bed, Athos came to a halt in the doorway, reluctant to invade Porthos’s privacy. But Porthos only tugged him forward.

Aramis rolled over, granting them a bit of space, and wriggled under the duvet, holding back the corner in invitation. Porthos urged Athos in, following behind until they were all tucked up in the warmth.

Lying still, Athos stared up at the dark ceiling, trying to cause as little disturbance as possible, and thought he’d failed when Porthos shifted restlessly. But then there was a warm hand at his hip, nudging until he got the hint and turned onto his side. Porthos pressed up behind him, chest to back, arm looped around his waist.

Athos remained tense, and Porthos wondered if he’d gone too far. “Alright?” he asked, voice a low rumble beside Athos’s ear. A moment’s pause, and then he felt Athos’s nod as he finally relaxed. Porthos pressed his lips into the messy hair and hugged Athos more tightly against him.

It was Athos who reached out to Aramis, suddenly too far away, fingers curling around his shoulder and skimming over warm skin, a tentative connection. Aramis made a happy sound, a soft hum, and shuffled closer, brushing a clumsy kiss to Athos’s stubbled jaw before snuggling up to him, tucking his head beneath Athos’s chin. His hair tickled, and Athos smiled to himself in the darkness.

They were a tangle of limbs, cuddled together on a too-small bed, but Athos didn’t feel trapped. He felt _safe_ , securely sandwiched between his two best friends. They formed a human barrier, warding off the demons that haunted him in the night, and when he closed his eyes he knew nothing but peace.

And when he finally felt the tug of sleep, he welcomed its embrace.


End file.
